If you were tasked with anaesthetising a giraffe with a high-potency fast-acting opiod-based drug-combination (in order to perform essential veterinary work) you might have an urgent need for a suitable mechanical ventilator. But where could you find one?

The team devised a simple, effective ventilator, using an off-the-shelf leaf blower as the drive source [See photo].

“A simple, effective ventilator, utilizing either an electric or gas-powered leaf blower as the drive source, was designed to be used as an emergency field ventilator during a giraffe anesthesia study. This ventilator is made of commonly available parts, has a pop-off valve and pressure gauge to prevent over-inflation, an expiratory valve to provide postexpiratory end pressure (PEEP), and is relatively compact and easy to carry into the field. This device was used to ventilate three captive, sub-adult giraffe ranging in estimated weight from 580 to 700 kg. Inspiratory pressures of 20 cm H20 were reached quickly (< 2 sec), paO2 values were significantly increased, and paCO2 values were significantly decreased over pre-ventilation values, indicating adequate ventilation efficiency.“